Combined mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus and semaphore-mast.



PATENTED NOV. 13, 1906.

W. DAVIDSON. COMBINED MAIL BAG CATGHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS AND SEMAPHORE MAST.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.B.1906

2 SEEETS-SHEET l.

avwentoz' No. 885.503. PATENTED NOV. 13, 1906 W. DAVIDSON. I GOMBINED MAIL BAG GATGHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS A AND SEMABHORE MAST.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT.8.1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wifuemea Patented Nov.

Serial 333,785.

Apphcetjou filed Seywmber 8: 1996 2st to the ground 0 the ground 2 60 he he mai 3, the spring ropes 1 ul put on t :flow

the u i whleh are on the This WE to bee ltsexf "rem clamps 225 a :lose by having" a hia Q! wok 24) cute c3 nnps e 24 and em 14, win

nag

her arm 20. hen drop to the grovwd,

go on with the can as '6 5 1 the This 0*(2'11 hv dotted lin 01; in lines Will p111 2 and 13 be time Med ring and r the way of e 25 and ropes to the esitien in 1152 3.

)7 1 sp Mik out of 14 & iVhiie the arm ""0 is up to catch bug 1 wire 03' red 21, whim Led ropes 1 m es 5 and ndiea The sen be h: D m ve. The clamp 14- mil full bar. med h th deited 1' mssin" t 1 a ai AI- T r 7/ 11 7/ am,

iewing i iii-u:

aemefnis relates te imzvro same uemhined Wherever eitper! nit.

23 the k 17, which is 7 in the fork ire 1 is fastened to arm 20, 51h 1h slot in The slo 0 just nv fraction larger than the W will slide three inn 1 to g pivoted to mast 1.

a wii means m a knot 01" by putting a f g not remain bag Whmh 1 have two 5 em of the he the are v bug L s 26 and 27 1b W11! all :e-neiixng 30, (shown. in F1.

7 0 the 'mo of mp0 Adv i l the rope am 1 27 on each the e 'reund 1 0 1 r not or bah on the end 0 pe 2L fron'l passin -e 2] and This will pul 1nd then 1 (5 1e em eye 11 he he hen m epe 2 the f0 the en: red 7 son:

came Kind (m 3 reps: will prevent the re mi 53m", 17* end the sand k hd' m for 17,

1' to keep t e hue e i s hump e s n'nm hueks ad to the slde of that when the n im'h 17 th( hind 1 J01}! the i: I 170111 "uh he snhi spi'h' m Mm 20,

the Alanine-v from the i greater than the hag 28 w move Eh i he 5 mp0 22, so em'vei 1 on ihmugh d mg; of H emtion of the (huf any good strong wire, hemp, or other rope that is strong enough to stand the strain; but

I prefer a. one-fourth-inch tamper-wire rope. The arm 3 should be placed high enough so that no one can hit the said arm I) when assing it on a car or engine. The pulley ti fastened to the arm 3 at or near the end from g bracket or hollow bolt T is fastened to mast 1 and a pulley in it.

theinast 1..

The pulleys 8 thern i If this mail-crane is located where there is a semaphore-mast required, then the mast 1 and 8 have rope 12 to pass over mast or post can be used for a mail-crane by attaching the arm 3 and connection to the said mast or post. Figs. 8 and" 9 show the spring-hooks 227 and 26, which are fastened.

to the. side ol the we r and a pair on each side of the jar-d I. a: To hang the bag on hook 2.7, mash don- 2 n the handle 27 and then slip the ring on if. l Then loose the end 27", and th 27 will force the end 27 down and 1.. the ring. The end of hook 27 is iziade tapering, so the ring can slide off --il when the bag 28 is caught. To I .c lovv er er a of bag 28 on hook 26, just push the r ng down behind the spring 26, Fig. ,iov hangthe ball 12" on rope 22 onto lcrdf to e htlivered or caught by the fork can be extended up by adding piece 1 onto 5 the T 2 and putting the semaphores 5 and and light 6 on top of the eXtenslou t. We then have a combined crane and semaphoreniast. 7

While the mail-bag '33 is hanging and being caught weight 11 is held in position by an eyebolt 15,1 igs. 1 and (S. 'lhesaid eye olt 15 has a slot in'it, so that the rope 12(2111 t er-1* moved from the said eyebolt 1.3 when necessary. The hook t), Figs. 1 and 5, is fast ned to mast 1' and is to hold rope 13 in position. 14* is an eyebolth'aving spurs and is fastened to a tie." The spring-clamp '25, Figs 1 and 4, is used on the ropes 12 and 14 to hold the cues of mail-hag 23. The said spring-clamp 35 is made of'stee-l wire and is curved around at the center to form an eye. The legs then extend down parallel a short distance and then curve out, forming shoulders on which the ring 24 can rest. They then extend on further and nearly parallel with one another a snilicient distance to give plenty of leverage to be able to force them together to get the ring 24 oh the spring-clamp. if the legs of the. said spring 25 are not extended beyond the shoulders that support the ring 24, then the ends or'legs"cannot be forced together with the hands and force them in the ring. 1 have made some and know by experience. so my spring-clamp is an improvement over all spring-clamps having forks or legs and is used to hold'the'ent'ls'of mail-bags. lfork 1'7 is fastened to shaft 16 and is free to be reversed or moved around by rod 18, Shaft 16 is fastened to mast 1' and sits at right. angles to the track. W'ire-netting 31) is fastened to the frame formed by rods 29 and 29. The 'said netting 30 will extend out on. either side of the fork 17 a distance a little greater than the length of the rope 22, so that the bag 28 will always"hit the said netting 30 when pulled from the side of the ear or hooks 26 and 27.

l 10 and'11 show a means by which any 17. \'o\\' to hang up mail-bag 23 move rope 1'! out ol eycbolt 15, so that weight 11 can go up masi t. Then unhook rope 13 from bolt 10 and throw the rope 13 oil" of book 51 and pull down the spring-clamp 25 and weight 1 1 will go up mast 1. Force the nds of clam} '25 together and slip them in ring 1 t. Then put ring 24 onto spring 25. Then let ilt bag 23 goup and the weight 11 will come down to eyebolt 15. Put rope 12 in eyebolt 15. Then pull down on rope 14 until weight 11 goes close up to eyebolt 15. 'l'hon fasten rope '14 to bolt 14. Then throw rope 1.) over hook 9 and fasten the lower end of rope lit to bolt 10. Then catch hold of rod is au-l pull fork 17 up so the end will point in t le opposite direction from the direction the train is moving. Then fasten rod 18 by slipping pin 19 into the rod 18 and mast 1. Everything is now ready to catch and deliver mail-bags 23 and 2S.

As the law requires that all rnail-cranes have a light on them wheriin use at night, the

semaphore-light. t) can be used for both the mail-crane light and semaphore-light.

ln case it is desired to deliver more than one mail-bag at a station any desired nu ber of bags may be supported on hooks 2t and 27, a pair of books for each bag being applied to the side of the car. In thisarrangement a single rope 22 may he engaged or wrapped around all of the bags. A number of bags can thus be delivere'i'l at one time at any dosircd station. 7

The spring clamping device shown in Fig. 1) is constructed of a back plate 26, having upper and lower llanges, a post 26", pivoted in said flanges and having secured to it a hook 26, provided with coils 26", engaging with a shortcross-pin, as clearly shown in Fig. 9. By providing a pivoted post the spring-clamp is'frcc to turn and adjust itself to the pull of the rope attached .to the bag either to the right or "left as the bag is engaged by the fork 17.

.ie wire It and then slip rope 22 in 'the' g levies shown in Fig. 8 is arm having 9.? its U spin The clamp wlre W1 composed of back plate having Hang-es in posed. of A which is pi'v atsd the post 2?, km. it ends hit-vi J V :01" shnuiaer coiled springs 27* and also provided wii'h a a ring; 011 a bag, & secozlai 5.c1'0ssar 27* having at one and a 'tapexing sonnectis-n secured i This tapered end bears i'zs and a 'v e umight flange of the plate:- aind is receive a ring 27 on a Th l 115 outer and of aha bar serves as a handie for pressing; it down and opening raisl Y l E) the pom'gea (i 27 to 1608178 E 10 ring,

having my mventlon hi i '7 c aim, and desire {a secure by Letters 55st- The combination in niafi bsg deiivwith a senmphnre-nmst, of an m 1 able and detachable su; porting-arm, Whsfezoy mail-mg- {@UVCYY apparatus 11151; be a. tachei'i to any senuqt-hcre-posfi, or mist ai- 2o readyin p'vsit'on, subsiantialiy as desvri bod. 2. The combination with a. senmphurw mast, of (1e tacimble supporting-Mm having a ciampin devicetsrefor, puilejs attached to said am: and adapted to carry a rope for wlmrnby ll, suppofting maiLb-ag at 0316 and an Having attzlshed 1L0 1 a Weight at the other end, substantially as subsmntivll as {is .s described. 5 @2111 dsli erin The combinntibn with a post 01'- Blast, of a, supportimg-arm. a rcmc-gujde attac'hsd LG 30 masi, mwing :L indie "pulley at or near over fifiViF/T g 162 composed 01' '0 form an apparatus, a 86 )1; saw, sl'loullay of a mug reaailv clamp,

.16 cm, 1 :1 L0 s'iw nd 10*; s U 1211s.. i

her-arm Q W19?) 4 or was spring clamping-hook attached to the post, substantially as described.

13. In a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, a. spring-alignging; device for engaging & ring on the end of a mail-bug, consisting of a back plate having flanges, a post pivoted in said flanges and having springs, also a cross-bar serving as a handle on one sideand as a. pin bearing en the piste and adapted to engage a ring of a bag, substan- IO tieily as described.

In testimony whereof I eflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM DAVIDSON.

Witnesses GLENN R. MORSE, CHARLES LOWELL HOWARD.

I i i I i i 

